Greenland in Black and White
It has always been a dream of mine to visit the Arctic someday, since I’m totally in love with Iceland and my travels almost always take me northward. (Usually just not that far north…)
I’m a big fan of winter with its unpredictable weather and the magical snow-covered landscapes. I like to be out in nature when most are happy to sit inside with a warm cup of tea in their hands …
I finally invested the money in a (really expensive) plane ticket and flew over to this big white spot on the map. And it became one of the most exciting trips I have ever taken. I honestly didn’t do much research on the small town called Ilulissat and that’s why everything was even more overwhelming, when I was arriving on the west coast of Greenland. The town is situated right at the mouth of the Ilulissat Ice Fjord with one of the most active glaciers in the world — the Jakobshavn Glacier (also known as “Sermeq Kujalleq” in Greenlandic).
This place is one of the most unique places I have seen in my life. Icebergs breaking of that massive glacier are sometimes so large, that they seem like small floating countries — you could easily fit a small town on top of them. I was sailing on a small wooden fishing boat between icebergs the size of a twenty-story building and it felt like Manhattan made of ice without all the people…
Also, the colors were different with every iceberg that came along. Depending on the age and pressure they were under, the color ranged from black over blue and white to almost glass-like and transparent. The best time to go out on a boat and take photos was in the evening under the midnight sun.
I was really drawn to these landscapes that were transforming and changing every day and completely vanishing in the end. Every photograph of an icebergs shows an irretrievably moment that is long gone by now and that was a really special inspiration to me. With this black and white series I tried to carve out the bizarre forms and shapes of the icebergs in a more dramatic way and give them an almost artistic touch.
If you want to see more photos of icebergs and Greenland, just visit my Behance profile for the most recent photos of Iceland, Greenland and Scandinavia.
You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks
–Jan.
